Tendring District Council, in line with other local authorities, no longer issues Senior Railcards. Instead, we are now part of a national scheme managed by the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC).

Through this scheme, eligible Tendring residents are still able to buy a railcard at a concessionary price of £24, which is cheaper than the cost of the Senior Railcard if you bought it from a railway station.

Am I eligible?

To buy a Senior Railcard you must be aged 60 or over.

How do I buy a Senior Railcard?

There are three ways that you can purchase a Senior Railcard.These are as follows:

However, to obtain your Senior Railcard at a concessionary rate, you first need to obtain a unique code from us but, please note this code can only be used for online and telesales. If you buy a Senior Railcard at a staffed station ticket office, it will cost you the full price of £30.

To obtain the unique code, please either call in to the Visitor Information Centre in the Town Hall in Clacton or phone us on 01255 686633.

Once you have a unique code from us, you can then apply to ATOC either via their website www.senior-railcard.co.uk or by phoning 08448 714036.

To check that you are eligible, you will need either a valid passport number or your driving licence with you when you contact them, as well as your unique code. If you do not have either of these forms of identification, they will check your eligibility against the electoral register.

ATOC will send you your railcard by first class post but state that you should allow five working days for your Senior Railcard to reach you. There is an option for you to pay for special delivery and providing that you have placed your order before 4pm this will guarantee that your railcard is delivered within two days (Sunday to Thursday) or three days (Friday to Saturday).

You will need your Senior Railcard with you to be able to get a discount on your rail ticket, so please allow enough time before your journey for this to arrive. If you need to travel straightaway you will need to buy your Senior Railcard over the counter at your local staffed train station.

The Senior Railcard entitles you to one third off all anytime, off peak and advance fares across the national rail network, including first class travel.